Wednesday, July 8, 2009

We’re not exactly sure this upcoming handset from Sony Ericsson is deserving of renowned 90lb supermodel’s name — even as a codename — but slender form or not, the SE Twiggy is the star of a new round of live shots. Rumored to have been canceled (and it very well still might be), the Twiggy is a Walkman phone with a thin flip above the keypad common to various Sony Ericsson handsets over the years. In this new iteration, the face of the flip cover is home to a single touch-sensitive play/pause button. Nifty, but we would’ve liked to see forward and back buttons as well of course, as are present on the face of the W350. Beyond that, little is known about the music phone other than the fact that it has a 3.2 megapixel camera on the back.Read more!

More interesting news from the UK today as it looks like LG’s would-be-highly-anticipated-if-not-for-the-insanely-high-rumored-price-tag GD910 watch phone is set to become a reality next month. Orange has reportedly confirmed that LG’s Dick Tracy-esque wrist gear will hit store shelves some time in August as an exclusive, though Orange exclusivity will only be for “a limited time”. The carrier hasn’t yet pinned a price on the touchscreen GD910 watch phone and we don’t blame them considering it’s rumored to be in the £1,000 range (about $1,612 at today’s exchange rate) on a pay-as-you-go plan or SIM-only. And you thought the Nokia N97 was expensive. For the sake of our British friends’ wallets, let’s hope the rumored price is way high and this little HSDPA-ready wristwatch drops with a slightly less ridiculous price tag. As for availability on this side of the Atlantic — don’t hold your breath.Read more!

A lot of programs has built-in mechanism to use antivirus solution to scan files for viruses and malware, especially applications that deal with files and receive or download files over Internet. As such, user who uses AVG security solution such as AVG Internet Security, AVG Anti-Virus or AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition (this article focuses on AVG 8 and AVG 8.5), it’s possible to use the AVG virus scanner as the virus scanner for WinRAR or WinZIP to scan the archives for virus when opening, extracting, expanding or testing the ZIP or RAR and other supported format archives. The AVG anti-virus scanner can also be used to scan downloaded files at Windows Live (MSN) Messenger, Miranda IM, Download Express and other third-party programs.Note: Depending on the versions or editions of the AVG solution you’re using, the path to the AVG executable may be different. There is also difference in executable name based on system architecture, i.e. x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit).

For 32-bit x86 System Architecture

Use the AVGSCANX.EXE program with /scan=%file% /exe=* /arc /clean parameters. For example:

The parameters may be different for different programs though, and can be customized to add more options, such as /HEUR for heuristic scan and /PUP for reporting potentially unwanted programs. Type “avgscanx.exe /?” or “avgscana.exe /?” to see a list of switches accepted.

The AVGSCANX.EXE program in the AVG program folder on hard drive – typically C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8, or C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG7\, or C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Free\, or C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG Free8\

Below is a few examples of the AVG scanner configuration in some popular applications.

Using AVG Virus Scanner with WinZIP

In WinZIP, go to Options -> Configuration -> Program Locations and configure Scan program as follows:

C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgscan?.exe (replace ‘?’ with ‘x’ or ‘a’)

Then configure Parameters as below:

/scan=%d ext=* /arc /clean

Set AVG Virus Scanner to Scan Archives in WinRAR

In WinRAR, navigate to Tools -> Scan archive for viruses and configure Virus scanner name as:

In AVG 8 or AVG 8.5, the above parameters do not actually scan the files anymore in Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger. The scan of transferred or downloaded files appear to taken place, but 0 files was scanned when result is displayed or checked in log file. If you’re using older AVG 7.5, just go to Tools -> Options -> File Transfer, check the Scan files for viruses using option, and enter the following parameter:

“C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Free\avgw.exe” /SE

For AVG 8 or AVG 8.5 users, create a file with named such as ScanAVG8.bat with the following text:

Save the ScanAVG8.bat file in a convenient location on local hard disk. In MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger, go to Tools -> Options -> File Transfer, check the Scan files for viruses using option, and enter the following parameter:

Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 is the new version of antivirus solution from Panda for Windows that can keeps your PC protected from any threats. The new Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 comes with user-friendly interface and most intuitive protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits and hackers from the computer. It also can scan files in real-time or on-demand and removes all traces of clutter left by spyware on PC. In addition, the Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 has added Panda USB Vaccine technology that protects users’ USB drives from infecting virus to PC, and integrates detection technologies which include generic signatures and remote heuristic scanning from the cloud. Apart from that, the new version of security application also offer an 80% reduced memory consumption and deliver 60% improved browsing speed and 40% improved download speed than previous versions.

The leading company in web application acceleration and performance management, streaming media services and content delivery, Akamai Technologies, Inc. has announced variable bit rate (VBR) streaming support to deliver live and high quality video content for Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. The VBR streaming was an impressive feature delivered in new iPhone 3.0 OS update, aiming to provide users a superior quality video streaming experience.

According to the company, Akamai HTTP Streaming for iPhone is available as part of Akamai’s Media Delivery solution, delivering a high fidelity viewing experience at any bit rate, faster video start up times and reduced video buffering.

“Apple’s extensive support for new web standards like HTML 5 and HTTP streaming of live and on-demand video to the iPhone and iPod touch has transformed the quality of video content that consumers can now view while mobile,” said Tim Napoleon, Chief Strategist Digital Media, Akamai Technologies. “To be able to watch video anytime, anywhere at a quality this high is nothing short of amazing.”

Akamai’s iPhone 3.0Video Showcase site (iphone.akamai.com) has been set up to demonstrate this new solution, streaming live and on-demand video from content owners and publishers including Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Discovery, FOX News, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, MTV, NPR, Turner Sports and USA TODAY. Read more!

The worldwide leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the launch of its new 23-inch Samsung XL2370 LED monitor, which features ‘finger-slim’ design and a host of cutting-edge technologies, utilizing around 40% less power to operate compared to conventional monitors of a similar size.

“We expect the XL2370 will open a new era of the LED monitor market,” said JaeYoung Lew, Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Division. “Samsung will pave the way in the LED monitor market with beautiful design and superb functionality, while responding to the market needs for eco-friendly technology.”

The new ultra-slim Samsung XL2370 LED monitor is slated to hit Korean market in mid July, and will be available in other countries starting August 2009, but the price has yet to be unveiled.Read more!

AVG Anti-Virus from Grisoft is one of the great free antivirus solutions which provides the basic and necessary anti spyware, anti malware, anti-virus, anti-spam, and other security protection tools for Windows users. Due to unforeseen circumstances such as corrupted files, system conflict, incomplete installation, etc., you may need to undo the installation of the antivirus program. If you remove the antivirus program using the Windows built-in remove program feature, you will probably end up with only a partially uninstalled program. This happens mainly because all antivirus programs generally integrate comprehensively with the operating system. To assist users who encounter this problem, AVG has created a remover tool, AVG Remover, for users, similar to other antivirus solutions.AVG Remover is a freeware tool which allows users to completely remove AVG Anti Virus in the event users want to remove the antivirus program due to some reasons. With this utility, users can remove all parts of the AVG installation in the computer such as all files, folders, registry settings and also the virus vault content. AVG Remover is an automated and portable tool which can be downloaded from the AVG using the following direct download links:

Recharging your iPod, phone, camera and other devices could pose a problem when you are on the move. Brando’s USB Solar Charging 4-Port Hub works both as a USB hub and a portable charger. When plugged into the computer, it offers users four additional USB hubs; when used as a charger, users can have the choice of recharging their devices from the sun or plugging into the usual AC power outlet.

Measuring 64 mm wide and weighing a mere 54g, the USB Solar Charging 4-Port Hub is easily portable and convenient. For $20, the device turns on the power supply wherever you go. Read more!

MSI has announced its new ultra-portable notebook – X-Slim X400, which comes in urban shape and a special glossy finish. The notebook is equipped with 14-inch TFT-LCD display, Intel Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) processor, and Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics. The new X400 has an optional Blu-Ray drive that lets users view Blu-Ray discs with capacity of up to 50 GB and has also a built-in digital media HDMI port to allow transferring of video on resolution of 1080p. In addition, it also comes with ECO Engine Technology, which can automatically selects the brightness of the screen, performance, sleep mode, system settings and performance of the processor in the processing of texts, games, movies, presentations, and a Turbo Battery. Furthermore, the MSI X400 notebook comes with the latest 8 cell lithium-polymer battery that support up to 9-hours battery life to ensures long-endurance.

The new MSI X-Slim X400 is available in three color: Black, White, and Silver. The notebook measures 349 x 234 x24.5 mm and weighs only 3.3 pounds (1.5kg). MSI X-Slim X400 will be available through leading retailer but the price has yet to be announced.Read more!

NTT DoCoMo has just unveiled the new development of its femtocell base station for consumer market. Femtocell, or better known as Access Point Base Station has been deployed in both hot spots and home to extend the capability of 3G access using existing home broadband service. By having this new technology in place, users will be able to enjoy seamless connectivity of voice and data transmission from service provider even in the home environment without limited by environment condition and obstacles.Although this is no longer something really new as there are already various products such as Netgear’s Femtocell Residential Gateway that being released to market. However, NTT DoCoMo has able to add some new value into it by providing extra services such as the auto mail notification to parents whenever their children arrive home with their DoCoMo phone detected under the home coverage area. While this is more useful for home area, there is another scenario that you may think of for hotspots area by sending electronics coupons from retail shops to subscribers as long as they are under coverage to enjoy some special promotions.

No pricing information yet, NTT will start offering its subscribers with new subscription and installation in Japan market by fall this year.Read more!